The present invention relates to the art of bracing systems that are used to stabilize vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bracing system for use in stabilizing a vehicle in an emergency situation.
When an automobile, truck or other vehicle is in an accident, there are times when the vehicle comes to rest on its side or its roof, or against an object such as a tree, pole or another vehicle. The vehicle must be stabilized in order to allow rescue workers to remove the driver and passengers. In order to prevent further injury to the occupants of the vehicle as well as damage to the vehicle, it must be stabilized in the position at which it has come to rest.
Because of the wide variety of positions to which a vehicle may come to rest, it is necessary to have a stabilization or bracing system that is adaptable to various positions and heights. In addition, stabilization is a task that is typically performed by rescue personnel as they prepare to remove the occupants from the vehicle. As a result, a bracing system must be capable of being assembled quickly and easily.
Moreover, there are instances in which a significant portion of the weight of the vehicle must be supported by the brace, necessitating an apparatus or system that can support a large amount of weight. As a brace is typically used repeatedly throughout its lifetime, durability is also required.
It is necessary for a bracing system to be transported easily, so that the rescue workers can quickly bring the brace from an emergency vehicle to the vehicle to be supported. As a result, the weight of the brace must be minimized and the components must be compact.
Bracing systems of the prior art include wood, such as four-by-four (4xc3x974) beams that are wedged in between a stable surface, such as the ground, and the area of the vehicle to be supported. These systems lack adjustability and are not durable, often being discarded after one use.
Other braces of the prior art include metal members that rely on pneumatic pressure to position and/or stabilize the brace against the vehicle. However, it is desirable to reduce reliance on pneumatic means due to the strength limitations of pneumatic cylinders and the long-term durability of such cylinders. In addition, the use of pneumatic cylinders increases the cost of the systems, leading to undesirable economic results when governments purchase the systems for rescue departments.
Still other systems of the prior art rely on mechanical cranks to position and stabilize the brace. The increased amount of components involved in a crank system leads to the disadvantage of an increased possibility of failure of a component, decreasing the life of the brace. The use of additional components for a crank also leads to increased cost, again leading to undesirable economic results for the purchasers of these bracing systems.
It is therefore desirable to develop a brace for a vehicle that is strong, durable, adjustable and reusable, yet economical and easy to set up and to transport.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a brace for stabilizing a vehicle is provided. The brace includes a main tube including a first end and a second end and defining at least one first set of orifices. An extension tube is disposed in the main tube from the first end and defines at least one second set of orifices. The position of the extension tube is set by selectively aligning at least one set of orifices from the first set and at least one set of orifices from the second set and inserting a fastener through the aligned orifices. A vehicle anchor is removably connected to the extension tube and a footer is removably connected to the second end of the main tube.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a brace for stabilizing a vehicle is provided. The brace includes a main tube including a first end, a second end and a fine adjuster including a screw, and defines at least one first set of orifices. An extension tube is disposed in the main tube from the first end and defines at least one second set of orifices. The position of the extension tube is set by selectively aligning at least one set of orifices from the first set and at least one set of orifices from the second set and inserting a fastener through the aligned orifices. A vehicle anchor is removably connected to the extension tube and a footer is removably connected to the second end of the main tube. The footer includes at least one set of parallel flanges that define at least one set of orifices.
In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for using a brace to stabilize a vehicle is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a main tube defining at least one first set of orifices, providing an extension tube disposed in the main tube and defining at least one second set of orifices, sliding the extension tube out of the main tube to a desired length, aligning at least one set of the first set of orifices and one set of the second set of orifices, securing the position of the extension tube in the main tube, positioning an anchor that is connected to the extension tube against the vehicle to be stabilized, and positioning a footer that is connected to the main tube on a stable surface.
There are other objects and features of the invention, which will be apparent from the following description and claims.